Closer to nature: 4 locations for contactless road trips Posted : 2020-12-22 09:09 Updated : 2020-12-22 13:49 Heonhwa-ro in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is the closest road to the sea in Korea. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization By Jun Ji-hye As an increasing number of people have been looking for safer getaways amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, road trips where travelers use their own cars have been gaining growing popularity as a means of reducing the risks of face-to-face interactions while traveling. The public health crisis that has lasted for about a year has also brought changes in travel patterns as more people this year opted to visit beaches and rural areas seeking safer travel opportunities in less-crowded destinations, according to a report by Kim Eun-hee, a research specialist at the Korea Tourism Organization.